Backed lath and manufacture thereof



June 28, 1949. L. w.. cRoss BACKED LATH AND MANUFACTtIRE THEREOF 2 Sheets-Street 1 Filed Dec, 5, 1945 INVENTOR 7 L onardm w A. A'lTaRNEYS June 28, 1949. L. w. 020% 2,474,773

BACKED LATH AND MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Dec. 5, 1945' I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Leonagdnf Cross BY A Patented June 28, 1949 BAGKED'LATH ANDJMANUFACTURE J THEREOF 1 it :invention: relates to J'ba'ckedi lath; It relatesxmoret particularly to an improved Jbacked lathar made Without the use oftfladhesive' to hold the backing sheet; and the; sheetiofrlath' together andinwwhich therbacking. sheet and the sheetof fa'ceci thempaper rem otei'i rom the l-atli and which points are turnedagainst that face of the paper for. the purposesof holding the lath and paper together. Such lath is not fully satisfactory'becausethe special poin ted tongues do not effectively hold the lath and paper together and because specialcutters are'nec'essaryto make such lath, resulting in increased cost;

I have devised backed lath:maide; without the use of adhesive in which the lath and the backing sheet are'more effectively held together than in lathof the same type previously producediz I pro.- vide backed lath ommising a: backing sheetiand a sheet of semi-rigid lath, the lath having strands which are severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the fastening elements extending through the backing sheet and having portions engaging the back of the backing sheet to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together. The backing sheet may be of any suitable sheet material, as, for example, paper.

The lath may be of any type having strands which may be severed to form elongated fastening t elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free. For example, the lath may be expanded metal lath made up of strands connected by bonds. Preferably the fastening elements extend through the backing sheet and lie against the surface of the backing sheet remote from the sheet of lath to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together. Desirably the fastening elements are reversely bent so that the portions thereof which 55 are-disposed at the surfacenf the backing sheet remote from the sheet of'latli lie generally against the backing sheet" opposite portions of the lath to grip, the backing'sheet and hold the backing sheet "and the sheet of; lath together.

Other details, objects'and advantages of the invention will become'rapparent as the following description of 'a present preferred embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention, in which.

Figur 1 is a. face view of a portion of a sheet of backed lathlas viewed fromthe face at which the sheet of lath is disposed;

Figure 2 is a similartvievv butshowingthe lath as viewed from the opposite face;

Figure 3 iswantenlarged cross-sectional view taken on the IineIIIe-IIIbfHFigure 1 but showing the fastening. elements of. the. lath projecting throughthe. backingflsheetwbefore they have "been bent against the, back .of the backing sheet; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the fastening elements bent against the back of the. backing sheet.

Referring. .now more particularly to the draw ings the backed lath consists of abacking sheet 2 and a sheet of semi-rigid' lath3.- The backin-g sheet 2. is shown as being vmadeuot paper" The lath isshown as intha form of light. gauge expandedn-metal-uhaving:strands 4 connected by bonds .5. To make: the backed 'lath the-sheet of lath and the backing sheetare disposedface to face and connected together so that the backing sheet remains attached to the sheet of lath even when the plaster is applied to the sheet of lath and presses against the backing sheet which limits the extent of penetration of the plaster through the lath.

My backed lath is formed without the use of adhesive, strands of the sheet of lath serving as fastening elements to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

I sever strands of the lath to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free. Fastening elements thus formed are designated 5. Strands may be severed at random or at regular intervals in the sheet of lath. In the form of structure shown in the drawings alternate strands in alternate rows of strands are severed to form fastening elements. When a strand is severed to form a fastening element it is preferably severed adjacent an end of the strand so that the fastening element is in the form of an elongated projection connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free.

After the strands which are to form the fastening elements have been severed as above explained they are preferably initially bent to extend substantially at right angles to the general plane of the sheet of lath as shown in Figure 3. The sheet of lath and the backing sheet are then assembled with the fastening elements 6 extend-v ing through the backing sheet. This may be done by positioning the sheet of lath with the fastening elements projecting upwardly, laying the backing sheet over the thus positioned sheet of lath and forcing the backing sheet downwardly to cause the fastening elements to penetrate the backing sheet. The fastening elements are then deformed so that portions thereof engage the back of the backing sheet to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together. Preferably,

as shown in Figure 4, the fastening elements are reversely bent so that the portions thereof which are disposed at the surface of the backing sheet remote from the sheet of lath lie generally against the backing sheet opposite portions of the lath to grip the backing sheet and. hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together,

I thus provide backed lath made without the use of adhesive and in which the sheet of lath and the backing sheet are held together much more effectively than in backed lath of the same type heretofore devised. There is no danger of the paper being torn away from the lat-h in ordinary use of the backed lath. Ordinary expanded metal or other lath may be employed, eliminating the need of special cutters for forming the lath with special pointed tongues as above referred to.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Backed lath comprising a backing sheet and a sheet of semi-rigid lath, the lath having strands which are severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the

fastening elements extending through the backing sheet and having'portions engaging the back of the backing sheet to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

2. Paper backed lath comprising a paper backing sheet and a sheet of semi-rigid lath, the lath having strands which are severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the fastening elements extending through the paper backing sheet and having portions engaging the back of the paper backing sheet to hold the paper backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

3. Backed lath comprising a backing sheet and a sheet of expanded metal lath made up of strands connected by bonds, strands of the lath being severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the fastening elements extending through the backing sheet and having portions engaging the back of the backing sheet to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

4. Backed lath comprising a backing sheet and a sheet of semi-rigid lath, the lath having strands which are severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the fastening elements extending through the backing sheet and lying against the surface of the backing sheet remote from the sheet of lath to hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

5. Backed lath comprising a backing sheet and a sheet of semi-rigid lath, the lath having strands which are severed to form elongated fastening elements each connected with the sheet of lath at one end and having the other end free, the fastening elements extending through the back ing sheet and being reversely bent so that the portions thereof which are disposed at the surface of the backing sheet remote from the sheet of lath lie generally against the backing sheet opposite portions of the lath to grip the backing sheet and hold the backing sheet and the sheet of lath together.

LEONARD W. CROSS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Scammell Jan. 2, 1917 Number 

